International law handbook

 
VIII. International human rights law
article 5
Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, 
economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so 
choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State.
article 6
Every indigenous individual has the right to a nationality.
article 7
1. Indigenous individuals have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, liberty and 
security of person.
2. Indigenous peoples have the collective right to live in freedom, peace and security as distinct 
peoples and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence, including 
forcibly removing children of the group to another group.
article 8
1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation 
or destruction of their culture.
2. States shall provide effective mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for:
(
a
) Any action which has the aim or effect of depriving them of their integrity as distinct 
peoples, or of their cultural values or ethnic identities;
(
b
) Any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or 
resources;
(
c
) Any form of forced population transfer which has the aim or effect of violating or under-
mining any of their rights;
(
d
) Any form of forced assimilation or integration;
(
e
) Any form of propaganda designed to promote or incite racial or ethnic discrimination 
directed against them.
article 9
Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right to belong to an indigenous community or 
nation, in accordance with the traditions and customs of the community or nation concerned. No 
discrimination of any kind may arise from the exercise of such a right.
article 10
Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation 
shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned 
and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.
article 11
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their cultural traditions and 
customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future mani-
festations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, 
technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.
2. States shall provide redress through effective mechanisms, which may include restitution, 
developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their cultural, intellectual, reli-
gious and spiritual property taken without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of 
their laws, traditions and customs.

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Declaration on rights of indigenous peoples
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article 12
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practise, develop and teach their spiritual 
and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access 
in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial 
objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains.
2. States shall seek to enable the access and/or repatriation of ceremonial objects and human 
remains in their possession through fair, transparent and effective mechanisms developed in con-
junction with indigenous peoples concerned.
article 13
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future genera-
tions their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and 
to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that this right is protected and also to ensure 
that indigenous peoples can understand and be understood in political, legal and administrative 
proceedings, where necessary through the provision of interpretation or by other appropriate means.
article 14
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and 
institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural 
methods of teaching and learning.
2. Indigenous individuals, particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of educa-
tion of the State without discrimination.
3. States shall, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for 
indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to 
have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language.
article 15
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, 
histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information.
2. States shall take effective measures, in consultation and cooperation with the indigenous 
peoples concerned, to combat prejudice and eliminate discrimination and to promote tolerance, 
understanding and good relations among indigenous peoples and all other segments of society.
article 16
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own media in their own languages and 
to have access to all forms of non-indigenous media without discrimination.
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that State-owned media duly reflect indigenous 
cultural diversity. States, without prejudice to ensuring full freedom of expression, should encour-
age privately owned media to adequately reflect indigenous cultural diversity.
article 17
1. Indigenous individuals and peoples have the right to enjoy fully all rights established under 
applicable international and domestic labour law.
2. States shall in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples take specific measures 
to protect indigenous children from economic exploitation and from performing any work that 
is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s 
health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development, taking into account their special 
vulnerability and the importance of education for their empowerment.

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